


Feline Feelings

by twitch



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Kylo Ren is a cat, M/M, Millicent is briefly mentioned, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-26
Updated: 2018-04-28
Packaged: 2018-09-26 23:10:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9928175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twitch/pseuds/twitch
Summary: Armitage Hux and his boyfriend adopt a cat. Kylo is that cat. This is the tale of Hux and Kylo.





	1. How to Choose Your Cat

**Author's Note:**

> This is my own fill to a prompt I requested through tfa_kink. The idea has been in my head for several months and even then the idea has shifted over time. The essence is still the same. Armitage Hux and his boyfriend want to get a pet, that being a cat. This is the tale of Hux and Kylo.

The woman at the front desk greeted them with a warm smile, an expression that she learned at her job. “How can I help you?”

Aidan beamed in return. “We’re interested in adopting a kitten.”

He spoke for both of them but Hux wasn’t entirely convinced. Their relationship was strong, they were both capable of making decisions, together and individually. Not quite a year together as a couple, five months sharing his apartment, they had their moments when a little bit of persuasion was needed from one or the other. Very rarely did they not find a way to compromise or have to give up an idea or argument entirely. 

It was Aidan’s idea. He proposed the idea a month a go of getting a pet. Aidan had grown up with a full house of siblings, four-legged as well as the brothers and sister he had. Hux hadn’t been against the idea but quickly, albeit reasonably, curtailed Aidan’s hope of getting a dog. It had nothing to do with the size of their apartment but the fact that they weren’t regularly at home. Aidan normally had long days at work and while Hux could work from home when needed there were days when he’d have to go into the office. A dog, and especially a puppy, would require more attention than they would consistently be able to give.

The silent agreement had been to get a kitten. Hux hadn’t actively searched out ads for kittens, looking only when Aidan pointed them out to him.

Aidan started going through his email before dinner and after dinner went on Kijiji. “A woman had a litter of Persian cats.”

He put the last of the utensils away. “Her husband must’ve been surprised.”

Accustomed to his comments Aidan kept reading the ad. “All of the kittens are purebred.”

“Please tell me the mother or father isn’t a show cat, she’d expect the whole lot of them to hit the circuit too.”

“I could find out by messaging her.” Hux abandoned the dishtowel on it’s hook hanging from the cupboard, venturing over to table where Aidan resumed his computer trawling. 

Sighing over the unvoiced question directed to him Hux shrugged a shoulder. “I wouldn’t be against spending the money but that will be a lot of fur to clean up on a daily basis.” 

“All cats shed,” Aidan reminded him.

“Short hair versus long hair, it’s just more hair by length.”

“There’s nothing wrong with long hair.”

Hux smirked slightly, pulling a chair over, sitting to get a better view of the website. Almost immediately, and quite on purpose, Aidan’s fingers curled through his hair. “I would hope not.” Reading the print he frowned slightly. “Wouldn’t that be a three-hour drive away?”

“Worst case traffic scenario, yes.”

“I had hoped for something local.” 

“I looked local first. The ads that were listed first were for dogs and – get this – a turtle.”

Aidan grinned at the way his face tightened. “I won’t question what people choose to keep company with but I’d prefer something with fur.”

“I saw an ad yesterday for rabbits.”

“Cat,” Hux stressed, chuckling under his breath regardless. “Let’s stick with something I’m familiar with.”

He had a kitten when he was younger. In his pre-school days, when the few playmates he had were the children of the mothers that his mother did social times with, he was the youngest of all the kids. The other kids had known each other longer, played with each other until one of the other mothers insisted to “include little Armitage.” At home he wasn’t a second or third thought to Millicent. She had red fur to match his hair, front paws white and more white markings on her tail. If he didn’t have schoolwork he was playing with her, keeping her company somehow. Even when he was deep into his books she remained nearby, napping on his bed or bathing herself. The typical cat stuff. 

He adored her as much as she did. 

She was only a year younger than him. He’d been taught how to take care of her, only getting help when it came to the heavy lifting of a food or cat-litter bag. Where other three-year-olds were playing with younger siblings, or running after older brothers and sisters, Hux had felt important, taking care of someone smaller than him. His dad called it a learning experience, not just the importance of taking care of another (a shocking lesson considering his leanings towards negligence), but also teaching him the roots of independence early.

Millicent passed on when he was nine years old. He pestered his dad to get another kitten, saved up his chore money for over a year, but his dad never relented. In due time he couldn’t bear the thought of another cat, knowing that no other would compare to his Millicent. There could never be another purr that would soothe him to sleep, a warm presence against his belly.

All the other ads that popped up online were more purebreds or litters that required a four-hour roundtrip to get to the home in question. 

The thought of Millicent kept him from getting his hopes up, of declining the few ads that held potential.

When Aidan took him to the humane society Hux had to wonder why they hadn’t thought of it sooner.

The pervading thought was he was betraying Millicent’s memory.

The receptionist paged for a woman who was about their age who worked primarily with the cats. She greeted them, shaking their hands, before leading towards the hall where the cats were kept.

As soon as they set foot in the hall mewls picked up in volume. 

“We have two rooms with kittens, you can go into both rooms. Most of the kittens are very outgoing and will come up to you. We encourage you to pet them but not all of them will want to be held. They will let you know if that’s the case,” she explained, stopping outside the first room they came to.

“Are they declawed?” Aidan asked, glancing through the small window.

“The kittens, no. Some of our older cats have been as they were brought in to us by their previous owners. That was the decision by their owners. Our policy is to leave all the kittens with their claws,” she explained before unlocking the door. 

A small gate resembling a children’s gate was set up inside. The kittens, having been let out of their cages to play during business hours, turned to watch the door open, a gateway to a possible paradise. Most of them scampered over, mewling louder, bracing their front paws on the gate to try and bring them closer to the men and woman who waited outside.

To his relief there were no red kittens inside the room. Hux stepped over the gate, instantly accosted by tails winding around his legs, paws kneading at his pants. How he managed to not trip over the little things was part skill, part luck. Aidan followed and for ten or so minutes they were used as climbing towers, several kittens brave enough to curl them selves into their arms.

Aidan was seated on the ground, far more play station for the kittens. “Would you hate me if I brought all of them home?”

“I don’t think the neighbours would approve, but they wouldn’t be responsible for cleaning up after them,” Hux countered. He was trying to pet the kittens who had formed a mosh pit around him, pouncing on one another in their failed attempts to climb into his lap. He had one kitten who had managed to curl herself around his arm. Every time he tried to set her back down she’d scamper back onto his lap, going for the opposite arm. 

She was the envy of the other kittens, her beige and cream coloured tail batted by all the other tiny paws.

“What’s her name? Does she have a name?” Aidan asked, gesturing to the kitten who remained in his arm.

“We’ve called her Rey but keep in mind, these are all kittens, you can rename her. It would take a bit of training and reinforcement,” the woman explained, watching the activity with a fond smile. “It’s fairly easy, straightforward.” 

“She does appear to be awfully taken to you,” Aidan interjected, grinning when she butted her head up against Hux’s chin, rubbing it back and forth with a mighty purr.

“She wouldn’t be a horrible choice,” Hux admitted, stroking fingers under her neck. “But is it okay if we go to the next room too?”

“Of course!” Aidan nodded. With some effort he managed to free himself from the kittens who had made him their home. Rey required more effort, Aidan gently prising her from his arms so he was free at last. 

“She’ll have to stay behind,” the woman interjected. Rey curled her paws up and away from the window ledge Aidan was lowering her to, refusing to give up either human. It took a minute until Hux and Aidan escaped without Rey or any of the other furballs clinging to them.

The second room they were greeted with equal amounts of enthusiasm. More cute kittens tried to charm them with besotted mewls and wide eyes but Hux, despite all initial intentions, found himself wanting to go back for Rey in the previous room. 

They stepped back into the hallway, intending to go back to the first room, but Hux heard a low rumble from the end of the hall. On one side a counter lined below an indoor window letting people see into another room. “What’s further down there?” he asked, a sharper yowl alerting him of action in the vicinity. 

“To the left is one of our veterinary offices. We have two, loosely intended as one for cats, in this hall, the second for dogs in the hall for the dogs. However we’ll treat any animals wherever we have the facilities available,” she explained. She cocked her head as another yowl sounded, smiling faintly. “We also have a second desk for formalising adoptions. That’s to the right. We also have a small room for grooming needs partitioned from that room. A few older cats are kept in that area.”

Aidan silently counted the rooms with him, coming to the same conclusion. “And the last room is?”

“If you want to consider our older cats our mature adult cats and the kittens the babies, we also have teenagers under our roof. They’re too big to interact with the kittens, sometimes unintentionally harming them, and they tend to upset the older cats,” she explained, stepping across the hall to the door they had been looking at. 

Aidan laughed. “That sounds like my older brothers when they were teenagers.”

“In theory, they would’ve undergone some training, assuming they’ve come from homes previously,” Hux commented, looking towards their guide for confirmation.

She nodded, switching to a different key on the set she was carrying. “Most of them have been. Most of the kittens are trained too but the kittens would have a larger adjustment period to adjusting to an actual home life. All of the cats would, and have their own setbacks. Older cats would be more set in their ways so it requires patience from everyone.”

“So how old are your teenagers?” Hux asked, waiting for her to unlock the last room.

“Our mature cats, the cats not in this room, are five years old or older. So these cats are over a year old.”

He wasn’t all that surprised when the door opened. All of the cats were free to wander the room, much like the kittens they had previously visited. Unlike the enthusiastic younger cats these older cats turned to regard them, expression insolent in a way that teenagers and cats were very well known for. 

Hux snorted under his breath, glancing over to Aidan. “Do you want to come in with me?”

“I thought you were besotted by our little Rey,” Aidan commented. 

“I am.” Yet here he was, one long leg already over the gate. A couple of cats ambled up to him, curiosity overcoming blasé attitude. “But why not visit all of them? It’s not like you buy the first car you like from the lot.”

“That’s exactly what I did.” Regardless Aidan joined him. 

The two cats that first approached him, one a tall white cat, the other a smaller brown one, sniffed at his pants, clearing smelling the kittens that he first visited. They balked for several seconds before rubbing up against his legs. He crouched down to pet both but in time he wandered the room, visiting the other cats that lounged in utter indifference.

The white one cast her blue-eyed gaze around the room, stilling other cats that tried to approach. 

The brown one followed him, shifting from beside his left foot to his right foot, leaning into him to get him to pay attention to him more.

A hiss from on high stopped the brown one in his tracks. Hux heard it, braced for an attack on his person, or the cat that had been following him. He had scampered out of the way. He expected to see a cat fight but was completely thrown off when a weight landed on him, heavy but not falling off his shoulder.

On his left shoulder he found massive black paws, lined up neatly to sit solidly. Considering his shoulders weren’t that wide it was remarkable that the cat was as steady as he was. Further regarding the cat showed that it was almost entirely black, all the way up to his oversized ears. He was a long tall cat, his bulk of weight muscle rather than rounded fat. He half thought the ears would match the rest of its rather large frame but no, the ears were still out of proportion. Remarkably even the whiskers were long, longer than normal and perhaps more plentiful than normal. It had been over twenty years since he had Millicent and the kittens were a poor comparison to a full grown cat. 

Bronze eyes stared back at him, gleaming and providing one of two points of colour on the otherwise black cat. The other was a stripe of white that jutted up over its right eye and seemingly continued below his eye down past it’s mouth.

Despite himself he found himself wondering if this cat could be a fan of KISS.

“Who is this… guy?” Hux asked. He would’ve been shocked if this was a female but based off the size he ventured that it was a male.

The guide was watching them with some degree of surprise, shaking off her bemusement. “This is Kylo. He’s three years old. He normally keeps to himself. When he’s not in his cage he spends most of his time on top of the cages.” A glance around the room showed no clear route up to his normal location. There was only a gap of perhaps a foot between the cages and the ceiling and the only furnishings were the cages, stacked on top of each other three high along the three walls.

It was no kittenish mewl that sounded next to his ear. It was insistent but not a yowl. Just a commanding noise that had Hux looking back to him. It was a challenge to get him off his shoulder, Kylo not budging at first but rather than complying to his request Kylo leaped to the floor, chasing the brown cat until he escaped to his cage. 

The white cat seemingly shook its head but didn’t approach or glance to Kylo.

Kylo, satisfied with himself, strutted back up to him, rubbed up against his leg heavily.

Sat back when he left a thick layer of black fur over his beige khakis.

Purred loudly.

Then stopped three seconds later, blinking up to him.

“Did Kylo have a previous owner?” Aidan asked. Unlike Hux he hadn’t stopped to pay attention to any of the cats, occupying himself by watching Hux with the three cats. 

“Yes. Kylo came into our care last year. His previous owner passed away and he didn’t have any family come to take care of his effects. We were notified that he had a cat in his house, Kylo, so we brought him in,” she explained.

Kylo didn’t leave his side. Didn’t budge when the white cat sauntered up, circled Kylo, then came around to Hux’s other side. 

A sad mewl came from the cage, cutting off when Kylo jerked his gaze towards it.

Hux nearly laughed, biting back a smile. The white cat eventually sauntered off, whiskers bristling, leaving him with Kylo once again.

“How does it work if one wishes to get two cats?” Hux found himself asking, the idea lingering with the shadow behind him. “Are there benefits to getting a kitten as well as an older, not-so-mature cat?”

Aidan moved to his side, approval lighting his blue eyes. “They would provide company for each other when we happen to be out.”

“That is one of the first things we’ll point out as an advantage. The older cat would also help to teach the younger one. That would be beneficial but at the same time you would need to make sure that bad habits aren’t being taught at the same time,” she explained. Hux felt Kylo situate himself between him and Aidan. “Before papers are done up to formalise the adoption we would do a trial period of kitten and cat together. If their personalities don’t agree then it wouldn’t be beneficial to anyone, you or the cats.”

“That makes sense.” Aidan glanced to him. If he had thought Aidan would think him crazy for getting two cats he was relieved to get a smile out of him, nodding eagerly. “I wouldn’t have thought about getting two but it is a good idea. A little extra work but worth it.” 

“How long is the trial period for the cats?” Hux asked.

“No more than a day. We’ll give them some time to meet each other, see how they progress with one of us present, then watch how they interact one on one. We would probably be able to tell you by tomorrow evening.” She walked them to the door, being careful to avoid Kylo weaving around their legs. “We’ll have Rey and Kylo together tomorrow morning after their breakfasts so they’d be a little more agreeable to interacting. We’ll phone you with the news.”

Hux never found himself distracted from work but the following morning, an hour after he knew the humane society opened for the day, he thought of the cream and beige kitten and the black cat. He wasn’t inclined to daydreaming or fanciful wishes, but reality compelled him. He wasn’t replacing Millicent and he was honestly looking forward to having the two cats in their lives.

Aidan answered the phone during dinner. The conversation was animated, excitement quieting down with a frown that made his stomach roil.

Soft words were exchanged before Aidan turned off his phone. “Bad news?” Hux asked.

He laughed before nodding, expression grim despite the brief amusement. “We can’t blame one over the other. They weren’t overly friendly with each other when they had one of the employees in the room with them, preferring to keep their distance. Once they thought they were alone Rey ventured over to Kylo. It looked promising for a couple of minutes but Rey took a swipe at Kylo. The staff thought they were playing but in the end they separated them. Rey was all over Kylo before they both were fighting and hissing at each other. Kylo pinned her but he didn’t hurt her. She didn’t hurt him either but...” Aidan petered off, shrugged. “The staff offered to do another trial run with them but chances are they still won’t get along.”

Hux clenched his hand against the edge of the table. He should’ve known that fanciful wishes weren’t for adults. “So now we have to make a choice.”

“I’d be good with either choice, I liked Rey as well as Kylo.” Setting his phone back on the counter Aidan sat back down, gaze soft on him. “You were drawn to both so I can go with your choice.”

Lips thinning in concentration, Hux stared down at nothing. First he thought of Millicent. That was an easy choice, the only choice given to him. She was the kitten his mom and dad brought home for him. 

Then there was Rey. A little ball of energy, affectionate. He could see her climbing all over him and Aidan, happy to be doted by them.

Kylo. Older and more controlled. Not nearly as affectionate. Aloof as cats were typically portrayed. He seemed comfortable with him and Aidan. Had been comfortable in his hiding place above all the other cats. 

Still he chose to jump down to his shoulder. 

A thought niggled at the back of his mind. 

“Our first impulse was to get a kitten.” Aidan cocked his head when he broke his silence, nodding in agreement. “It would stand to reason most people would get a kitten, to start out with a young cat.”

“You want to get Rey?” Aidan asked, readying himself to stand up and get his phone.

“Which would mean that older cats don’t get adopted as often as the kittens.” 

Aidan stopped with his phone in hand, looking back to Hux. “So are you… undecided?”

Hux shook his head, smiling slightly. “Everyone will fall in love with Rey, and they can. I’d rather have Kylo.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo discovers the joys of home and everyone settles in... some a bit too comfortably.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contrary to appearances I hadn't forgotten about this story. It just took a long time to get to chapter two.

Minutes later, Aidan returning the phone call, Hux was mentally making a list of the things he’d have to take care of the following day. So long as he got up early to get his work done he’d have most of the afternoon free to pick up the essentials. Imagining a pad of paper he listed them out. Bowls for water and food. Cat litter and cat litter box. Cleaning spray (cats would be cats). A brush. A collar. Harness and short leash. Small transport crate. He’d phone the humane society again tomorrow, not wanting to bother them more at the time being, to find out what food they’d recommend for Kylo’s dietary needs. Perhaps a few toys. Yet getting catnip to add to his small pot garden of herbs out on the balcony sounded like a good idea too. If Kylo had a blanket at the humane society he’d ask to take it home with them but otherwise he’d get one too.

It was the motivation of picking up Kylo that had him rising early and fast. He ate a piece of toast while waiting for his tea to finish steeping, carrying his hot mug to his computer once it was ready.

Logging into the remote work server he looked over his latest spreadsheet, determining priority and beginning. It would’ve been too easy to be distracted, thinking of his shopping list and picking up Kylo but it was that very motivation that had him bypassing his midmorning tea break to complete everything faster.

It was a little after one when he finished, half past the hour when he phoned Aidan. The idea came to him that it might be worth cat-proofing the apartment before he left. Between him and Aidan they didn’t have too many breakable decorations that required moving to safer locations. He placed the one indoor plant on the top shelf of their bookcase. 

He continued to wander the apartment, looking for potential spots to tidy, his ear to his phone. “I’ve finished up work early so I was about to go to the pet store to pick up the essentials.”

“Have you phoned the humane society about what Kylo eats?” Aidan asked.

Everything was safe in the bedroom. He poked his head into the bathroom, making a note that they would need to remember throw anything potentially harmful into the enclosed garbage in the kitchen. “I’m going to phone them next. I also wanted to see if you’d be able to leave early to meet me at the pet store. It wouldn’t be too bad if I wasn’t picking up several bulky things.”

He could hear papers being shuffled, an audible glance Aidan made to peruse his workstation. “What time were you thinking?”

“Three o’clock.” With his free hand he grabbed his coat from the closet, finally finished with his survey.

“I should be able to manage that, but if I wind up being late I’ll be no later than three-thirty.” There was a soft mumble of dissent over the line. “It depends on how long my manager will keep me after I submit my report.” 

“He’s been keeping you late at work as it is, he can afford to let you leave an hour early.” Muttering his own annoyance Hux shook his head. “But that’ll be fine. The humane society is expecting us at 5:00 anyways.” 

“Not soon enough. Later babe.”

Out of the door, bags in hand, he made his way down the stairs, waiting until he was walking to the subway station to make his next call. It was a short enough conversation, leaving him to the sound of cars driving past. Background noise that made it easy to think of Millicent and Kylo in equal turn. Wistful and eager he walked even more briskly, taking the stairs down to the tracks.

Having not stepped foot into a pet shop since he was a kid he quickly realised that his choices were far vaster than what he expected. He thought he’d finish his shopping in no time but by three o’clock he was still looking at collars and leashes and harnesses. Luckily they were the last items on his last, his cart full, in large part to the litter box and bag and the crate. The smaller items fit into the bags he brought along but that left him in need of assistance to bring out the other three items.

He was holding the door open for the clerk, carrying litter box and crate with each hand, when he heard Aidan’s voice. “Tidge!”

“You’ve been saved,” Hux remarked to the clerk who had just shuffled out onto the sidewalk. Aidan jogged up to them, relieving the younger man of the items.

“Have fun with your new cat,” he said, sweeping his hair out of his eyes.

The items put into the backseat of the car, Aidan grinned, kissing Hux’s chin before his lips angled up to his. “We have some time to kill. Shall we enjoy our last hour of being childless?”

“What do you have in mind?” 

“A walk? I think there’s a new bookstore not far from here. Or we could grab a coffee and tea.”

As it was they took a short walk, stopping briefly in a pharmacy when Aidan remembered they were low on a couple of things. Getting back to the car and the drive to the humane society had them ten minutes early but did no other harm. That it resulted in Aidan petting several dogs who were returning with one of the walkers was too well timed.

Crate in hand they entered the humane society, slightly disappointed that they wouldn’t be getting the two cats they wanted, but excited to take home Kylo. To the front desk they went, waiting for someone to see them.

As it was the same woman who showed them around two days ago met them, smile on her face. “I can’t tell you how happy I am that you chose Kylo to take home. The older cats aren’t normally chosen, most people want to get a kitten.”

“We actually considered that, giving the chance to take home an older cat,” Aidan mentioned on their way to the room.

“Considering how disgruntled Kylo appeared to be after being bested by Rey, he’ll be happy to know that.” Rather than lead them to the room with the older cats she took them to the second desk, which on closer inspection was an office with an open window to ledge and desk. “I have some paperwork that you’ll need to fill out, plus pay the adoption fee, but then you’ll be free to take Kylo home.”

A yowl came from the room where they initially were ready to enter, turning into a low rumble when they were forced to walk further down the hall.

Paying and filling out the paperwork took less than five minutes but when they finally entered the room to pick up Kylo it ought to have been a span of months the way Kylo ran into Aidan’s legs. “Woah, easy there,” Aidan commented, crouching down to soothe the cat but Kylo was already changing directions.

Hux had barely set the crate down, knees slightly bent. It was enough of an angle for Kylo to launch himself onto his thighs with a dash and a leap. Arms shooting out he caught Kylo before he slid to the ground, or worse, scratched through his thin-lined cords. “Alright, settle down.”

Bringing Kylo closer to his chest for support, he got a head-bump to his jaw and a loud purr that vibrated against his shoulder. 

“Someone’s happy to see you.” Aidan grinned, a couple fingers reaching up for Kylo’s ear, scratching. The purr turned louder and he kneaded those large paws into his chest. 

“What are the chances I can detach him and get him into the crate?” Hux asked. The purr cut off abruptly, a possible sign that he recognised the word.

As it was, in a crate that didn’t allow him much turning space, Kylo hunkered down into the blanket, gaze distinctly contemptuous. He wasn’t hissing or growling but that could change once they were in the car. “It’s not that far a drive to get home, you’ll have more room there,” Hux reassured him

In the backseat, the belt stretched over the crate to keep it from sliding around, Kylo yowled at the sharp turns. Familiar with Aidan’s driving habits Hux bit his tongue, knowing that the cat was doing an adequate job for him.

Fifteen minutes later, including the ride up in the elevator, the crate rattled with Kylo’s barely restrained eagerness once Aidan shut the door to their apartment. Hux had already set him down to the floor. “He’s like the bogart in the wardrobe,” Aidan commented, chuckling as he neared them.

“Be nice to your cat,” Hux admonished, smiling despite himself. Crouching down, a steadying hand laying flat on the top of the crate, he reached with the other to clasp the hinge that locked the door. Almost released it until he looked back to Aidan. “You might want to start setting up the litter box now, just in case.”

This time Aidan laughed. “Yeah, that makes sense.”

Unlocking the door, Hux braced himself. Not disappointed, Kylo emerged full tilt. Slowed down the trajectory when he neared the balcony door, whiskers twitching at the herbs that were out of his reach. Disappointed that he wouldn’t be chewing on them any time soon he twisted to reroute, resuming his sprint like he never stopped, zipping out of the room.

Hux heard the bed give, remarkably loudly. 

The skidding sound of Kylo hitting the shower stall door to close, apparently sliding on the bathmat, prompted Hux to consider something else that deserved to be folded away out of reach. 

Raced back out, nearly running into Aidan’s legs when he stepped out of the kitchen, scissors in hand. Continued into the kitchen, straight through to the opposite side and out to scamper in and out and back through the legs of their dining table and chairs.

He finally settled on an amble as he took in the room that he first arrived in. Surveyed Hux’s worktable, and the short couches that sat across from their small entertainment unit, television set above the two-shelved unit that consisted of blu-ray player and stereo. 

“Think he’ll settle in?” Aidan asked once he had the litterbox ready. 

“Of course he will,” he reassured him though looking around the room as he did right then might’ve not been convincing. “But we should find somewhere out of the way for the litterbox to give him some amount of privacy.” 

Nodding and mumbling in consideration Aidan glanced briefly to the kitchen. “What if – uh, no. We don’t use the front closet a lot. We do keep a few of the cleaning supplies in there, but if we move a few things around, could we fit the litter box in there? We’d leave the door open of course.”

“That actually sounds perfect.” Once they had the vacuum in the hallway it was a perfect fit. The shelf overhead had the cleaning basket and various other loose supplies. “I guess we could put the vacuum in the…” Pursing his lips in concentration Hux shook his head. “I’ll keep thinking on that.”

Kylo settled in with them like he had come with the apartment. He found his preferred nooks and crannies for when he wanted to be alone, and Hux never had the need to disturb him when Kylo decided that was the case. When Kylo wanted to be social he was. Sometimes he was perched on the corner of his desk, which he soon learned to clear so that Kylo had the space to either sit or spread out across should he choose to lie down. He was the workplace supervisor for home. And he always oversaw breakfasts in the kitchen, watched them cook not for the need to wait his turn for food but as though making sure they were eating healthy. Then made sure they sat down to eat. As it was he was usually scolding from the table when Aidan dashed out for work. Hux tried to make enough time to sit down for the days that he needed to go into the office. 

He was a bossy cat for sure. Always looming, physically ready to scold, and loudly when he did. Yowling and mewling for attention when he felt he was lacking.

But in the evenings, when he and Aidan may have been watching television, reading or doing whatever they wanted to do for relaxing, even if meant for wandering hands, Kylo was never too far away. So long as they weren’t physically occupied with each other Kylo could’ve been purring in their laps or trying to make room in the too small spaces between them when they were cuddling.

The other times provided more entertainment than television.

One day after an important presentation at work Aidan had pocketed his laser pointer and brought it home. Forgot it until he was taking his phone out of his pocket, pulling both out at the same time. 

A slip of his finger had a red dot appearing on the floor, breaking Kylo out of a doze. Aidan caught on sooner than he had, moving the laser pointer to dance the red beam of light closer to Kylo. 

The pouncing and chasing that followed lasted for nearly ten minutes before he insisted Aidan give him mercy. And not return the laser pointer for the sake of Kylo’s own fun.

Curled together in bed, the overly warm sensation cooling into the comfortable pull of sleep, Hux eased his head off of Aidan’s arm before it turned to pins and needles, wiggling his pillow lower with his shoulder. “Good luck on tomorrow’s meeting,” he murmured. 

“I don’t need it, my boss hinted about it before I left.” Aidan sounded smug but shifted a little to bring his gaze back on him. “You know how I’ve been staying late at work, maybe twice a week for the past few months? In preparation of a business collaboration in London?” Hux had been ready to sleep but mumbled and opened his eyes to show he was paying attention. “Apparently three people selected by management will be working in physical collaboration. To show them the ropes and play co-hosts to the various branches they have across the country.”

“What?” Pushing himself up, hand to his pillow, and even spotting Kylo raising his own head from his makeshift bed, one of Aidan’s sweatshirts that he always forgot to pick up from what once was a table, Hux and Kylo eyed Aidan. “He said that you-“

“They’ve selected three people to do the job – it’ll be eight months in London! And he told me, that me, of all people, need to not be late. With a very knowing tone.”

Aidan’s eyes were bright in the dark that Hux was unable to not smile. “That’s great, congratulations! I better not be apologising to you when you get home tomorrow.”

He leaned over to kiss him before falling asleep.

He didn’t get the chance to kiss him goodnight the next day, Aidan out for a round of congratulations with the team of workers he worked with, along with the other lucky people selected. 

The following morning, feeding him a tall glass of water and a painkiller over breakfast, Hux watched from the kitchen entrance, struggling not to cross his arms. At last he pulled his arms behind, clasping his hands at his back. The coffee press was still gurgling away though all the food was set out. “When do you start in London?”

Aidan had his forkful ready at his mouth but stopped himself short. “In two weeks.”

It was a good thing that Aidan sat with his back to him, not seeing his eyes widen. Yet the curtains rustled from the side of the balcony doors, an alarmed commotion from Kylo that Hux mirrored. “You won’t be here for Christmas.” And, as he did more math, Aidan would miss his birthday.

Aidan’s eyes lit up midchew but he hastily swallowed, only a fleck of egg on his lip. “You should fly to London to visit me for the holidays!” 

Unfortunately the end of the year was always the busiest time at work. “I might be able to make it for New Years.”

“By that time I should be able to show you around like a pro,” Aidan added, taking a sip of his water.

Hux dragged himself into the kitchen, careful to not make his feet heavy as his heart felt. “Well, I could always make a visit to my grandparents. I haven’t seen them since after my graduation.”

“That’ll be perfect.” Hux took a grip of Aidan’s mug, schooling himself to be gentle with pouring the coffee. His tea had finished steeping so he brought them both out, taking his seat in front of his food. “You always talk about them fondly, more so than your dad.”

He focussed on a long sip rather than Aidan’s busy fingers. “They are my mom’s parents after all.”

Plans were made for the holidays that were too far way for his liking. Four months felt like a year away even if two weeks flew by, a runaway subway train. Flickers of light in familiar stations after stretches of darkness. One two three all a blur until an unlucky herald of thirteen met him. Aidan had started packing on the tenth day, necessary paperwork made for his overseas stay and preparing to switch cellphone providers.

Hux didn’t know why he was the one folding the clothes when they came out of the dryer. He shoved the door shut harder than he intended to when Kylo poked his head inside. Moved the basket out of jumping range from Kylo, warm and clean clothing inviting. “Are you going to need a converter for your phone? So you can use the charger while in London? And use your laptop and tablet?”

“I’ll buy one tomorrow!”

“You only have three more days to buy anything you’ll need that you can’t get in England so you better start thinking now. I don’t really want to have to parcel anything out to you,” Hux added, putting the last thing in the basket and standing. 

Aidan stepped out into the hallway, his quiet different from his usual easygoing style. They looked at each other, Kylo gazing back and forth between them, until Aidan eased the basket from his hands. “I’ll have to be at the airport early for my flight but how about we do dinner two nights before I leave? I know these two weeks have been busy but… you do so much for me. And I love you. I don’t want you to think that I haven’t thought about this long and hard.”

“You deserve this.” Hux slid his hands over Aidan’s, stroking his knuckles down to his wrists. “You’ve been working so hard that they’d be dumb to not give you this opportunity. You’re perfect for the job.”

“I might not phone you every night but I’ll phone you at least twice a week.” They couldn’t embrace properly but Aidan did lean forward, managing a small peck on his lips. “And you have to come for New Years.”

“I will.” 

*

Their dinner out turned out to be a wonderful night. At one point he was fearful that it would turn into a last hurrah with him and Aidan’s friends but Aidan assured him that he was doing lunch with a few of his friends the next day. They made reservations at their favourite restaurant before going to a night out at the museum. It was open late on account of a monthly special, one Saturday each month doing an exhibit and presentation to a different era of art. Most of the time he pretended he didn’t care for art, mostly because it reminded him of his mom. Yet Aidan insisted, and Hux enjoyed it, thinking about the canvases he would watch her paint when he was a kid.

At home, in bed, Aidan’s hands covered every inch of him, shaping and reshaping, finding beauty and inspiration and forging it anew until they were breathless.

Kylo was disgruntled under their bed the next morning, not only for waiting for his delayed breakfast.

He tried to keep himself busy when Aidan left for lunch. 

Kylo leapt onto the book in his lap while he sat on the couch. He hadn’t turned the page in the past ten minutes despite toying with the corner. His finger would curl past the paper until his nail was digging into his thumb, scratching on the next pass, until one fingernail was four digging into his palm. 

The paws that slid past the book to knead at his thighs eventually knocked it to the floor. Hux was just as easily pushed over, shuffling and twisting to lie across the couch, Kylo settling warm and purring over his stomach and chest.

Had he tried to say that Kylo was being unnecessarily clingy two days later he would’ve been called out by his friends. Alone in his apartment, only with Kylo for company, once again a heavy weight on top of him, Hux had no reason to lie.

Hearing from Aidan the following night made it easier. His mope broke once he heard the slightly tinny note to Aidan’s voice over his phone. Kylo nearly butted the phone out of his hand but Hux gripped it tighter, greeting Aidan with relief. 

Greeted him again on the Sunday. Though no days were set Aidan kept to his promise, phoning twice a week. Scoffing internally to his initial despair Hux settled back into his routine. Almost. Going into the office once a week became twice a week. Getting together with friends, which either happened once every two or three weeks, became meeting up once a week, either for a lunch or a weekend night out.

Most nights were spent at home though. Not to wait for Aidan to phone, or to phone him himself, but for his own preferences. Reading or watching something on television. Or brushing Kylo, something he was surprised to find they both enjoyed.

Kylo’s break in routine was a small variation, ditching Aidan’s sweatshirt to sleep at night on the unused pillow on the bed. The little shifts in their lives, despite the absence, wasn’t too jarring. There were days that Hux keenly missed him but he moved past them. Sometimes it meant phoning Aidan to hear his voice. If he couldn’t get in touch with him it meant phoning one of his friends. Other times it took Kylo reading his moods and knowing when a good cuddle was needed.

He managed, they managed quite well. And when he heard from his boss he could book a week off over the holidays he did. December 29 to January 4th. If Aidan had to work one or two days that would be fine, he could go up to visit his grandparents. 

Dialing Aidan through Facetime, Hux schooled his expression. Not to the point of boredom but a pleasant expression, a small twitch of his lip that he called anticipation rather than a smirk.

It all plummeted when he was greeted by a freckled chest and not Aidan’s tanned complexion. 

Beyond the chest he made out what was a small bedroom and a large bed, one that Aidan was reclining on under the sheets, bare as far as he could tell, sheets not quite covering his hip.

“Hello?” The man in question lifted the phone up to his face, a handsome face marred by the widening of blue eyes. He dropped the phone though it didn’t matter, cursing and shouting back – “I answered your phone!”

Aidan clamoured out of the bed, indeed completely naked, diving for his phone. 

Hux heard Aidan’s voice but cut off the call before he could see his face or make out his words. 

He quickly dialled up the first contact out of his friends on his list, not wanting to hear the ring set up for Aidan. 

It was not comforting to know that Aidan had a type.

Making plans to meet up somewhere, anywhere, he grabbed his jacket and wallet, leaving his phone behind even while it rang.

Kylo eyed the phone just before Hux slammed and locked the door shut.

How foolish would he look cancelling his vacation?

He waited until he was in the elevator before squeezing his eyes shut, one hand clenched over his nose, the other creased with fingernail lines over the palm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are interested you can follow me over at [Tumblr](http://centurytwitch.tumblr.com).


End file.
